Stats & Training
Speed and HP carry most of Poliwhirl's stat budget. Sp. Atk's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 2 Speed EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Although it has become capable of living on land, it spends its time in the water, where its prey, fish Pokémon, are plentiful.
Its health suffers when its skin dries out, so be sure to moisturize it diligently.
Poliwhirl Weakness
Electric and Grass moves hit Poliwhirl for super-effective damage. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
 Sceptile Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Sceptile builds →Leaf Storm 2x189-223%KO Leaf Blade 2x91-107%KO Energy Ball 2x131-154%KO Mega Drain 2x60-71% | ||
 Decidueye GrassGhost | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Decidueye builds →Leaf Storm 2x182-214%KO Leaf Blade 2x111-131%KO Energy Ball 2x125-148%KO Razor Leaf 2x69-81% | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Venusaur builds →Petal Dance 2x167-197%KO Solar Beam 2x167-197%KO Petal Blizzard 2x89-105%KO Energy Ball 2x125-148%KO | ||
 Leafeon Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Leafeon builds →Leaf Blade 2x113-133%KO Energy Ball 2x85-101%KO Giga Drain 2x71-84% Magical Leaf 2x58-69% | ||
 Cradily RockGrass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Lileep (Route 8 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Cradily builds →Energy Ball 2x107-126%KO Giga Drain 2x89-105%KO | ||
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Zapdos can KO Poliwhirl with Thunderbolt (167-197%). Amoonguss threatens a KO with Giga Drain (91-107%). Breloom deals 48-56% with Bullet Seed.
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave29-35% Thunderbolt 2x167-197%KO | ||
 Amoonguss GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemBlack Sludge NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Amoonguss builds →Giga Drain 2x91-107%KO | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemFocus Sash NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Breloom builds →Mach Punch38-45% Bullet Seed 2x48-56% | ||
 Raikou Electric | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Poliwhirl View Raikou builds →Thunderbolt 2x173-204%KO | ||
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Evolution
From here, Poliwhirl's line branches into Poliwrath and Politoed. That's 2 possible evolutions, each with its own method. So far, HP got the biggest boost (+25 from Poliwag). The final form adds another 125 stats on top. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Poliwhirl to get Poliwag eggs easily using 95 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bubble Beam, Encore, Endeavor and 10 more.
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Poliwhirl Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Without breeding, Poliwhirl misses out on Bubble Beam and Encore. That's 13 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Surf, with Normal and Ground coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Poliwhirl in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
4 encounter spots for Poliwhirl at decent spawn rates starting from mid-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Where To Catch Poliwhirl in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
To get Poliwhirl, start by catching Poliwag through walking and surfing encounters at Lv. 14-28. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch PoliwagBrooklet Hill - NorthUltra MoonSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - NorthUltra SunSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthUltra SunSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthUltra MoonSurfing on water Lv.14-1740%EarlyBrooklet Hill - NorthUltra MoonGrass Lv.14-1720%EarlyBrooklet Hill - NorthUltra SunGrass Lv.14-1720%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthUltra SunGrass Lv.14-1720%EarlyBrooklet Hill - SouthUltra MoonGrass Lv.14-1720%Early
Step 2Poliwhirl ✓Malie GardenUltra MoonGrass Lv.25-28 Forest20%MidMalie GardenUltra SunGrass Lv.25-28 Forest20%MidMalie GardenUltra MoonGrass Lv.25-28 Forest10%MidSOS chain (rain)Malie GardenUltra SunGrass Lv.25-28 Forest10%MidSOS chain (rain)or evolve from Poliwag (Step 1)
Poliwhirl Guide
Poliwhirl is meant to evolve into Poliwrath. At 385 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Swift Swim is what you want on Poliwhirl. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Water Absorb, Damp) work on paper but Swift Swim is what makes Poliwhirl worth using.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Poliwhirl's hidden ability is Swift Swim. Doubles Speed during rain. Better than the standard options for competitive play.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Poliwhirl has appeared in 20 games — most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves